Fluorescent lamps using electronic ballasts are very popular in lighting, especially in offices, the work place, businesses and homes, while HID lamps are normally used in public lighting or large open spaces such as storage rooms, parking lots, etc. In the latter, electronic ballasts are starting to appear on the market given certain technical advantages against the electromagnetic ballasts.
Ballasts use electromagnetic and electronic technologies. The latter technique works by means of a solid-state switched-source system that, with working frequencies of more than 10,000 cycles per second, achieves better lux per watts yields and assures longer life of the lamps, with a high power factor.